Top 7 Natural Commercial Rat Repellents, Plants, and DIY solutions

by Inga Cryton | Last Updated: February 18, 2019

Removing rats is not easy. But you can resolve your rat issue by planting some herbs or using natural rat repellents. Take steps to make your yard, garden and home unappealing to rats through a natural repelling approach.

There are many commercially produced rat repellents that can be sprayed in strategic spots of your garden or lawn as well as in other parts of your property. Such products taste terrible to rats and they learn to leave the treated locations.

What is the Best Natural Rat Repellent in March, 2019? – Buyer’s Guide

Dealing with rat infestation can be an incredibly frustrating. These rodents gnaw holes in bags and boxes, scurry through the walls of your home, leave feces and damage your garden.

Getting rid of messy rats after they have already invaded your property can feel like an uphill battle. What’s more traditional methods of rat removal are often unsafe and inhumane. However, you can discourage rats by using harmless natural repellents. By disturbing rats’ noses with powerful scent and taste deterrents, you will quickly drive them away. Let’s focus on the best ways you could go.

DeTour is a special bio-repellent that effectively irritates pesky rats and mice. Once these rodents come into contact with this repellent, they will do everything to exit the treated area. With DeTour, you can create barriers around barns, structures, and other sensitive areas.

Where to use: in areas where rats may enter – such as sides of doors; on holes, pipes, window sills, crevices, electrical conduits, under counters.

Shake-Away is really effective, natural and easy-to-use rat repellent. Those who don’t want to deal with dead rats in walls or in attics can use Shake-Away rat repellent with special non-toxic formula that safely repel rats. This 100% organic product uses predator scent in the form of the urine granules. When rats detect the scent of predators, they leave and avoid the treated area. Let the power of the predator work in your yard, lawn or garden and you will see the results.

Go-Green Protection is a natural repellent diatomaceous earth granules infused with peppermint, cinnamon, clove, rosemary and lemongrass oils. The product is safe for you and your kids.

How to use: spread granules on areas of your yard. Repellents remain effective for up to 1 year in any weather to deter rats.

ImportantWhen it comes to the effectiveness of repellents, it is important to follow the directions for use on the rat repellent’s packaging.Reapply rat repellents – liquid or granular – periodically as directed. Shake liquids to ensure the proper mixing of working active ingredients.

Nature’s Defense Granules have effectively repelled rats with safe, natural herbal ingredients. No need for dangerous poisons, traps or chemicals. Now you can solve your rat issue in a natural way. Due to the blend of herbal ingredients rats will quickly learn to stay away from such areas humanely.

Bonide Repels-All Granules repels rats and other nuisance critters from planting areas, gardens, and yards. The product consists of a unique mixture of active ingredients that cause irritation to rat’s nasal passages. When a destructive rat smells touches or tastes Repels-All, the solution triggers the natural rat’s instinct to avoid and leave the place. The product is natural and won’t harm the animals.

How it works: Granules repel rats through taste, smells and irritation of nose and eyes.

Expel Rat Repellent is a non-toxic, natural product that consists of biodegradable ingredients. This repellent offers a working formula that immediately irritates the rats’ sense of smell and taste. After a couple of visits, rats associate the sensation with your yard or garden and learn to avoid the area.

Benefits: The product doesn’t use harmful and toxic chemicals and is completely eco-friendly and safe to use around your plants and home.

How to use the product: Shake well and apply to plants, trash cans, cracks or openings around the foundation of houses/structures, sheds, garage etc. The product effectively protects yards, gardens, attics, patios, basements, wood piles, and other areas.

How to Prevent Messy Rat Infestation in Your Garden

Prevention is the key to make rats an issue you’ll never have to face.

Rat control outdoors should involve such components:

Remove food sources,

Remove shelter,

Keep landscaping well-trimmed,

Plant deterrents.

The Most Effective Repellent Plants that Repel Rats

Spending time in your yard or garden should be free from rat terror but this is not always the case. Repellent plants and flowers are a great solution to make away with messy rats in your garden.

Rats must always be gnawing as their teeth never stop growing.

Ensuring your garden is inhospitable will deter these rodents.

Here are the most effective repellent plants that can be used to crack your rat problem:

PeppermintAlthough peppermint has a good and pleasant aroma to most of us, rats dislike the smell. If you have a rat issue in your garden, we suggest planting peppermint trees. Planting these plants/trees in your garden is a good strategy to keep rats from chewing up other plants they may find tastier. If you can’t plant peppermint on your property, then peppermint oil will work just as well.

SpearmintThe plant has a very powerful smell which we love but rats can’t stand. Spearmint effectively drives these rodents up the wall. Planting spearmint as a natural barrier around your property will not only deter rats but also keep other destructive pets out.

Balsam FirRats hate an odor from the needles of the balsam fir tree. Therefore getting rid of mess rats is much easier if you have this tree on your property.

SagebrushThis common-in-the-western-parts-of-the-U.S. shrub has a very powerful, pungent scent which effectively repels rats. You can use leaves of this shrub to repel rats. But if you don’t have access to them then use sagebrush oil which also works great to repel pesky rodents.

Daffodils and HyacinthPlanting these herbs around your garden has also been known to keep pesky rats at bay.

HerbsUsing herbs – like black pepper, oregano and cayenne – is another good alternative in repelling rats. You can sprinkle herbs on plants, soil, doorway crevices and in entry points/cracks around the house. A strong smell of the herbs will surely protect the area against these critters.

How to Kill Destructive Rats Naturally

Dip cotton balls in available-on-the-market peppermint oil. Then place the solution near rats’ cracks or holes. The smell of the mint will kill them.

What to buy: Peppermint Oil by Pure Body Naturals – safe and non-toxic repellent that is perfect to use around the home and garden. Effectively repels undesirable rats.

InterestingWhen it comes to repelling rats patience is a key.Although most rat repellents work quickly it may take a couple of interactions for destructive rats to associate the unpleasant irritation with the treated area.

PepperSprinkle pepper near the holes. The pungent smell will make rats unable to breathe. And they will die.

Great Home Remedies

Ammonia solution

To make this effective repellent you need:

2 cups of ammonia,

A quarter glass of water,

two spoons of detergent.

Mix everything in a bowl and place the solution in places where rats appear frequently. The remedy will surely do the job, since these critters can’t stand the smell of ammonia.Rat repellents are chemicals which by odor or taste or possibly by both can prevent rats from feeding or gnawing. Such repellents may be used in protecting location from rat infestation or in protecting electric cables or other vulnerable materials.

Special oilsThere are certain flavors and scents like cloves, citronella, cinnamon, peppermint, and ammonia – rats don’t like. Make use of these scents to repel rats. Purchase oils of citronella, cayenne, peppermint or cinnamon. Soak cotton balls with the liquid and leave in high rat-traffic locations.

Hot Pepper SolutionFor making Hot Pepper repellent spray you are to add ¼ cup dish soap and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce to the bucket filled with one gallon of water. Stir the ingredients and transfer a portion of this magic solution into some empty spray bottle. Use this hot pepper solution on the floors, walls, countertops and other areas where messy rats have been known to go.

Harmless natural repellents will help you to discourage pesky rats. Note rat repellents must be applied at the very first signs of rat damage to prevent rats from developing destructive habits that are often difficult to break.

About Inga Cryton

Welcome to PestKill. I have been working on pest extermination information for a long time and am excited to share this information with you. Here you will find information that is useful and easy to understand. Whether your issue is small pests such as insects, or large pests such as rodents, you will find helpful information here. I also provide product recommendations for my favorite pest extermination products. Feel free to contact me with any questions about pest extermination you have! Read More

Some of these I know to be bogus. Rats cut sagebrush twigs and bring them into our cars to make nests. And there’s no way peppermint or black pepper are going to kill them. Repel them, maybe, but not kill them. Makes me wonder about the other suggestions. I’ll probably try some of the pellets and a spray inside the engine compartment of the car.

Red pepper flakes work well. I had rats in my garden last year and after putting red pepper flakes down my tomato plants recovered. They’d eaten the quite a bit of the plants. If I’d figured it out sooner I might have gotten some ripe tomatoes!

I’ve been seeing a rat in my house the last 3 days. It actually ran me away from my home for 3 nights. I put traps, deacon,garlic powder around and in my home,along with cayenne pepper and black pepper mixed. I placed 4 rags soaked in ammonia around each side of my house. Not sure if I over did it but I need that thing gone. Tonight is my 1st night bk home so I hope I don’t see Ralph running around tonight.

As for Bay leaves, I have a 30 foot tall bay leaf tree. The rats use it for bedding so I really doubt that it will kill then as they have to bite the leaves and carry them to where they make their nest.

Last year I had rats eating all of my tomatoes in my garden before they have gotten ripe! I lost all of the plants! I saw them scurrying out of the garden at night, because my dog saw them and chased, once I let her in the garden area. They ate all of the tomatoes, ripe and unripe. They did not touch the cucumbers, peppers or green beans. And I did loose a few egg plants. They also never touched the zucchini. These rats are the Norway rats, I think. I need an all natural plant to deter the rats from getting into and eating all of my tomatoes or anything else I plant. I have heard of planting certain plants, but one or more web sites contradict each other. Please help me.

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